The New York Times has taken legal action to block Justice Department subpoenas that require its journalists to testify before a federal grand jury.
The subpoenas relate to national security reporting on the new Air Force One jet.
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The newspaper filed a motion on Wednesday in the Southern District of New York.
Federal authorities served the subpoenas last Friday, with some delivered directly to reporters at their homes.
The government is demanding that journalists identify confidential sources behind their coverage of security vulnerabilities on the retrofitted aircraft.
Allegations of Bad Faith
David McCraw, the newspaper's senior vice-president and deputy general counsel, criticized the legal pressure.
"These subpoenas are brought in bad faith to punish The Times for its coverage," McCraw said.
He added that the subpoenas violate the constitutional rights of the newspaper and its journalists.
"We are going to court to defend our journalists’ rights to report freely on the administration and to provide the public with stories that matter," he stated.
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The Times' articles detailed security concerns about the $400 million aircraft, which was a gift from Qatar.
The plane reportedly lacks the antimissile capabilities of the older model used by the president during a NATO summit in Turkey last week.
Justice Department's Position
The Justice Department defended its decision, stating that the investigation targets those responsible for unauthorized leaks, not the media.
"We value and appreciate the important role that the press plays in this country," the department said.
However, it emphasized its obligation to safeguard restricted governmental intelligence.
"But DOJ also plays an important role to make sure that the people entrusted with our nation’s secrets do what they’re supposed to do with that information, which means not sharing classified information," the department added.
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The legal dispute highlights ongoing tensions between press freedom and government efforts to prevent leaks of classified information.
